Listeners in Nome and Unalakleet were boiling water more than usual a few months ago — but not to make pasta or tundra tea. In both communities, disruptions to the isolated, local sources of clean water raised warnings about potability and public health risks.

In Unalakleet, the boil water notice came after city officials noticed higher-than-usual levels of water turbidity: cloudiness caused by tiny particles. The community sources its drinking water from a nearby creek, and it was believed that the increased turbidity was coming from new beaver dams in the creek, which make for stagnant water. As spring turned to summer, the beaver dams were causing a domino effect: less free-flowing water was delaying the sub-Arctic thaw which was, in turn, leading to less clean water.

Ultimately, the water quality in both communities was given the “all-clear,” and the boil-water notices were lifted — although in Unalakleet, this came only after months of work, including removing the beaver dams and setting up a new, local alert system for residents.

Per usual, KNOM brought these water updates to listeners; news stories informed the region about ongoing developments in both places.

The isolation of KNOM’s listening communities is clearly felt in local infrastructure. Since Western Alaska villages aren’t connected to larger grids of power, water/sewer, or telecommunications lines, disruptions or outages tend to be more severe and more complicated to remedy. In these moments, as in so many others, KNOM plays an immediate role in keeping the public informed and safe — through your support.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/11/01/not-a-drop-to-drink-2/feed/031895Ravn Alaska Seeks International Air Safety Certificationhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2017/06/07/ravn-alaska-seeks-international-air-safety-certification/
Wed, 07 Jun 2017 17:09:10 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=29705“The I-OSA standard... is the gold standard worldwide,” said Bruce Joseph with Ravn Alaska. The airline has begun the process of becoming certified with the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit (I-OSA).]]>

Ravn Alaska could be the first Alaska-based airline to be certified under international safety standards.

Bruce Joseph is Ravn Alaska’s Executive Vice President of Safety, Security, and Compliance. He says the airline has begun the process of becoming certified with the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit (I-OSA):

“One of the things that is noteworthy about the I-OSA standard is that it is the gold standard worldwide. It is worldwide best practices and operation. It’s many, many years of history and cycles and repetition by some pretty major hitters around the world: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, those kind of operations. And what it does is, it brings the benefit of their experience from worldwide best practices to us.”

If Ravn Alaska is successfully I-OSA certified, then they will be the first Alaska-based airline to have that status. Joseph says Ravn and other Alaska planes need these specific safety requirements to reduce the number of future crashes:

“The decision was made before a couple of those accidents that just helped shed some light on the need to enhance safety all around. The interesting statistic that goes with it that I’ve heard is, although only a quarter of 1% of the U.S. population lives in the State of Alaska, 20% of aviation accidents occur here. That’s somewhat of a skewed statistic, because it doesn’t take into consideration that there’s probably 50% more aviation in Alaska than there is in every other state in the lower 48.”

Joseph believes other Alaska-based airlines haven’t gone through the International certification yet because I-OSA imposes “rigorous” standards on their operations.

“It’s every aspect of the operation, from flight maintenance, cabin flight attendants, how we handle airplanes on the ground, how we ship cargo, how we handle the luggage that our passengers check, how we fuel the airplane, how we de-ice the plane. It is a top-to-bottom, very rigorous standard.”

For Ravn Alaska passengers, Joseph says these standards and audits will make for a more consistently operated flight from any Ravn terminal, including Ted Stevens International Airport and the Ravn terminal in Nome.

It is expected that the IOSA certification could be a year-long process for Ravn, and Joseph says the airline took its first steps towards this international safety status three weeks ago.

While ice is still solid near Moses Point, a spit located east of Elim, Keith said most shorefast ice is already starting to break away — something that usually happens in May.

“I think it’s probably three weeks or maybe four weeks early,” he said.

For safety, village officials are urging snowmachiners to use overland trails when traveling to and from Elim.

One snowmachiner has already gone missing while traveling between Elim and Koyuk. Local residents are still searching for Roger Hannon of Koyuk, who went missing two weeks ago in blizzard conditions. Searchers found his snowmachine in open water on the edge of the sea ice east of Elim.

]]>22463Trey West Wins 2016 the Nome-Golovin Snowmachine Racehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/03/14/trey-west-wins-2016-the-nome-golovin-snowmachine-race/
Mon, 14 Mar 2016 20:32:57 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=21817With a time of 2:07:09, West won the C Class and was named the race's overall champion. Dora Hughes won the Women's Class, clocking a time of 1:47:03 on the shorter course.]]>

NOME, Alaska — Trey West is the overall champion of the 2016 Nome-Golovin. West won the 200-mile snowmachine race on Saturday with a time of 2:07:09.

On the 50th anniversary of the Nome-Golovin snowmachine race, Quinn Schaeffer was the first competitor to the hit the trail along the clear, sunny coastline of Nome’s East Beach.

“I know there were good riders behind me,” said Schaeffer. “I’m a good rider myself, and I just didn’t want anyone to catch me.”

But just 10 spots behind Schaeffer came his biggest competition: Trey West on a Skidoo MXZ-800.

Schaeffer and West raced in the C Class, along with 21 other riders on 800-level snowmachines. Officials released them from the start line in 30-second intervals to speed from Nome to Golovin and back. While Schaeffer was the first to start and the first to finish in the C Class, West finished second after leaving in 12th position.

“I knew it was going to be a close time with Quinn Schaeffer because he came across a couple minutes before me,” said West. “So I knew it was going to be close, and I just hoped for the best.”

After officials accounted for the staggered start times and calculated the official results, West was declared the race’s overall winner with a time of 2:07:09. That was just two minutes and 20 seconds faster than Schaeffer.

West said he was excited about his strong finish, especially on a rough and bumpy trail.

“I tried to be calm and just keep collecting myself — not get ahead of myself or override my machine or push myself too hard,” he said. “It was awesome to be out there riding.”

But neither West nor Schaeffer was the first overall racer to cross the finish line. That honor went to a rider from the Women’s Class, which raced from Nome to Topkok and back.

A 10-year veteran of the race, Dora Hughes was the first finisher and the Women’s Class Champion, clocking a time of 1:47:03 — about three-and-a-half minutes faster than second-place finisher Katie O’Connor.

Still seated on her Polaris snowmachine, Hughes shook off her helmet and said she had plenty of energy.

“I feel like I could still go,” she said.

The women’s course is about 40 miles less than the one male riders follow in the Open Classes. Hughes said she hopes that someday all women will race the full trail, but she’s happy this year’s course was extended beyond the short jaunt from Nome to Safety that it has been in years past.

Hughes also said she was pleased to see six women in the race this year.

“This last couple of years, there hasn’t been a whole lot of interest in the women’s class. But this year, I’m very proud of all these ladies that came out to race,” she said. “It seems like it’s growing and there’s a lot more interest, and I’m pretty happy for it.”

Aaron Loyer won the B Open Class for 600-level snowmachines, Wally Carter Jr. won the Fan Cooled A Open Class, and Bubba McDaniel was the sole racer in the Junior Class. Lucas Bauman was named rookie of the year, and Robert Lane received the sportsmanship award. Nineteen racers scratched in total. Click here for full race results.

]]>21817Teller Infant Dies on Snowmachine Trip to White Mountainhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/02/22/teller-infant-dies-on-snowmachine-trip-to-white-mountain/
Tue, 23 Feb 2016 03:02:47 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=21086A six-month-old baby died while traveling with his family to the Valentine’s weekend basketball tournament on February 12.]]>

NOME, Alaska — An infant died while traveling with his family from Teller to White Mountain for the Valentine’s weekend basketball tournament on February 12.

“There was a parent and children riding in a sled that was being towed by a snowmachine,” said Beth Ipsen, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers. “He was actually riding in his mother’s jacket. It was not a traditional-type parka, but they got to a point, checked on him, and found that he was unresponsive.”

CPR was performed on the six-month-old baby, but it was unsuccessful. The baby’s body was sent to Anchorage for an autopsy.

Ipsen said it’s still unclear whether the jacket contributed to the baby’s death.

“No foul play is suspected at all,” she said. “People travel this way a hundred times a year and unfortunately, this once, something tragic happened.”

A similar accident took place last year when a child from Golovin died while traveling with family to the same basketball tournament.

Scott Sample is a Chief Ranger for the National Parks Service. He leads snow patrols on federal lands in six of Alaska’s national parks and preserves.

For long-distance snowmachine travel, Sample recommends that someone other than the driver carry small children. That way, a passenger can frequently check on a baby.

“People sometimes swing the baby in the rear or sometimes hold it to the front. Both have worked for a long time, but the benefit of the front is that you can look down through your parka, see the child, and have some type of face-to-face with it,” he said.

He said travelers should slow their snowmachines down if children are traveling with them. He also recommends driving a vehicle built for multiple passengers.

]]>21086Wintertime Newshttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/02/02/wintertime-news/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/02/02/wintertime-news/#commentsTue, 02 Feb 2016 16:55:53 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=20783From a stranded seal to a dangerous hole in Yukon River ice, recent stories from KNOM's news department offer a special glimpse into what makes Western Alaska so unique — and, at times, so challenging.]]>

With your support, the news department of KNOM Radio Mission brings to our rural, Western Alaska listeners — and our web viewers at knom.org — the local and statewide events and issues that are impacting their lives, as well as crucially-needed weather and travel information. As has been the case for more than four decades, KNOM’s weekday newscasts thus are a snapshot of our corner of Alaska, and in wintertime, our news stories offer a special glimpse into what makes our region so unique — and, at times, so challenging. Here are just a few examples.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2016/02/02/wintertime-news/feed/220783Nome Schools’ Safety Campaign Prepares Students for Winter Darknesshttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2015/11/04/nome-schools-safety-campaign-prepares-students-for-winter-darkness/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2015/11/04/nome-schools-safety-campaign-prepares-students-for-winter-darkness/#commentsWed, 04 Nov 2015 18:44:32 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=19408The district provided flashing reflector keychains to students as part of its safety campaign. Next summer, a new crosswalk will be installed.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2015/11/2015-11-04-NPS%20Safety%20Lights.mp3

The winter darkness is descending, and to help students stay safe on their way to class, Nome Public Schools passed out flashing reflector lights yesterday at Nome Elementary School.

Superintendent Shawn Arnold handed out the blinking blue keychain lights to arriving students, along with School Board President Barb Amarok and Principal Kevin Theonnes.

This is the first time the district has provided battery-powered reflectors as part of its safety campaign, “Be Safe. Be Smart. Be Seen.” Photo: Laura Kraegel, KNOM.

Arnold said this is the first time the district has provided battery-powered reflectors as part of its safety campaign, “Be Safe. Be Smart. Be Seen.” In the past, students just got reflective tape. And although that’s coming too, Arnold said it’s important to keep building a safer environment — especially with half of Nome Elementary students walking to school each day.

There haven’t been any accidents or injuries, but Arnold said there are close calls when drivers struggle to see students in the dark. That’s why the district has teamed up with Nome Eskimo Community to add a crosswalk outside the elementary school.

“We’ve been working on a safe schools project — hoping to get better lighting around the schools, develop a regular crosswalk that’s well-lit, and have someone out working that crosswalk,” said Arnold.

After working on the project for the past few years, Arnold said they hope to install the new crosswalk next summer.

Until then, any students who didn’t grab a reflector keychain can pick one up at Nome Elementary’s front office.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2015/11/04/nome-schools-safety-campaign-prepares-students-for-winter-darkness/feed/119408Troopers Investigate Failure to Salvage a Grizzly; Meanwhile, Bear Population Surveyedhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2015/09/15/troopers-investigate-failure-to-salvage-a-grizzly-meanwhile-bear-population-surveyed/
Tue, 15 Sep 2015 20:30:51 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=18396Alaska Wildlife Troopers are searching for the person or people who failed to salvage the meat of a bear shot near Cape Nome.]]>http://www.knom.org/wp-audio/2015/09/2015-09-15-Bears.mp3

Between three bears spotted at the edge of town and another grizzly shot and left to die at the Cape Nome quarry, bears are out and about in the Nome area.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued a brown bear advisory last week after sightings near Icy View, the Norton Sound Hospital, and along the Beam Road. Meanwhile, Alaska Wildlife Troopers are searching for the person or people who failed to salvage the meat of a bear killed earlier this month. In an online dispatch released Friday, Troopers said the bear was shot near Cape Nome around Sept. 5.

Despite the recent sightings, Letty Hughes said the number of bears is not unusual.

“It has been an excellent fish year. It’s been an excellent berry year, so that helps out. But it’s probably no more than usual,” said Hughes, an assistant area wildlife biologist with the Fish and Game. “When you consider where Nome is situated — we’ve got the coast, we also have the Nome River and the Snake River — bears are just passing through.”

This year, Hughes said the department has actually received fewer reports of bears breaking into cabins. Still, she said the bears are out there — and the population seems to be doing quite well.

“We hear reports from folks that they see cubs with sows,” Hughes said. “So even without having any definite numbers, they appear to be healthy.”

And definite numbers are on the way. Hughes said Fish and Game teamed up with the National Park Service earlier this year to survey the brown bear population on the Seward Peninsula.

“We spent two weeks doing this bear survey, using a lot of small plane time,” she said. “A lot of hours were spent flying around the peninsula this spring.”

A biometrician is using the data collected to estimate the bear population, and Hughes said the final count will be released later this fall. The number will be another important piece of information about the local animals, which Hughes said are also analyzed when they’re hunted and salvaged properly.

“We gather information that way on our brown bears,” she said. “A hunter has 30 days to get their bear sealed. What sealing requires is bringing in the hide with the claws attached, the evidence of sex attached, and the skull. We pull a tooth, measure the skull, and look at the hide for any abnormalities — anything that might be interesting.”

With current sightings, Hughes said everyone should continue to practice basic bear safety. Make noise and maintain a safe distance while viewing bears, hiking, and picking berries. And keep trash contained so fish and game scraps don’t attract animals. Hughes said anyone who sees a bear can report sightings to the Department of Fish and Game, the Troopers, or the Nome Police Department.

]]>18396Wildlife Safety Tips for Your Next Outdoor Adventurehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2015/06/30/wildlife-safety-tips-for-your-next-outdoor-adventure/
Wed, 01 Jul 2015 00:42:41 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=17086Moose and walrus and bears, oh my! Out in the country and along the beaches, wildlife are out in spades and a few safety tips can go a long way.]]>

Out in the country and along the beaches, wildlife are out in spades. With opportunity to hunt and observe these animals, a few safety tips can go a long way.

On land, Letty Hughes with the Alaska Department of Fish & Game says you’re likely to see plenty of birds and muskox, and perhaps moose and brown bears.

Although the muskox population on the Seward Peninsula has been in decline, Hughes says for the past couple of summers they’ve noticed a change in muskox distribution—more muskox in Unit 22C, closer to Nome. For these ungulates, the best rule of thumb is to keep a safe distance.

“For muskox, you don’t want to be approaching any [muskox] groups. You don’t want to make them run because new calves can easily be trampled or they get left behind when groups run,” said Hughes. “So, we want to be sure to be quiet around the muskox.”

If you encounter an animal that appears to be orphaned or injured, Hughes says not to touch or pick up the animal. Often, the mother will be nearby—and for moose and bears specifically, the mother will vigorously defend its young from any perceived threat. The best practice is to call Fish & Game or the Alaska Wildlife Troopers and report the location and behavior of the animal.

To defend oneself against bears, Hughes recommends carrying a deterrent such as bear spray and making loud noises to alert animals in the area of your presence. If your deterrent is a firearm and you have to kill an animal in defense of life or property—Hughes says you must report the kill to Alaska State Troopers, Fish & Game or the Nome Police, and skin the animal.

Gay Sheffield with the Marine Advisory Program says, like last year, the earlier retreat of sea ice means you may see a few seal pups sunning themselves on the beach. She says that’s perfectly healthy for them, and cautions passersby not to disturb the animals. Sheffield says she and the Kawerak Subsistence Program are continuing to monitor seal sightings after the seal sickness of 2011, the cause of which is still unknown.

Sheffield notes that for baby walrus and any seals in this region, if they are removed from their habitat for rehabilitation in Seward’s SeaLife Center, they will not be released back into the wild. This is based on an agreement between the Ice Seal Committee and the National Marine Fisheries Service to prevent disease transmission. Sheffield recommends confirming the animal’s health before sending it out of the region for rehabilitation.

“You want to make sure that you’ve reported it and that it’s being checked out by one of the local agencies here in town or by experienced subsistence users before action is taken, such that an animal that is perfectly healthy and just taking a break on the sand, is not inadvertently picked up and removed and put in captivity unnecessarily,” said Sheffield.

Meanwhile, Sheffield says miners dredging near Nome should be cautious of any marine mammals that might attempt to socialize.

“We do have several predatory marine mammals in our region that do utilize our waters. One are transient killer whales,” said Sheffield. “If you have killer whales near shore, I would recommend probably getting out of the water, getting back up on the dredge or talking to your diver and letting them know that there are these killer whales in the area.”

Besides killer whales, Sheffield says 1,200-pound Steller sea lions traverse near-shore waters, and can be very curious with divers. Walrus calves (without tusks) are also quite social and may try to haul out on dredges, especially if they have been orphaned.

Sheffield requests that if you see a walrus calf on a dredge or in the water alone, contact her, Kawerak Subsistence, or the Eskimo Walrus Commission. If you see a seal or walrus on the beach, note your location, look for an injury or unusual behavior, and take a photo to include with your report. Gay Sheffield can be reached at 443-2397 or 434-1149; Kawerak Subsistence program can be reached at 443-4265; and the Eskimo Walrus Commission can be reached at 443-4380.

It was a close finish under a blaring sun on a warm afternoon, but Copper Basin 300 veteran Tom Jamgochian was eight minutes faster than Kuskokwim 300 finisher Rolland Trowbridge in this weekend’s Nome Council 200 race.

Four Nome Kennel Club mushers took off from the city’s snow dump around 10:00 a.m. Saturday, racing along the Iditarod trail until turning northeast to Council seven miles outside of White Mountain. Before the race’s start the Nome Kennel Club secured a Fairbanks veterinarian for the race, qualifying all finishers for the Iditarod.

Stephanie Johnson—who was still on the trail as of Monday morning—said at the start she was just looking to enjoy her first mid-distance run.

“I’m going to take it easy. This is my first race over 30 miles, so I’m a nervous wreck,” she said. “But I’m gonna just make it fun for the dogs and fun for me. I’m not here to race I’m here to run. It’s something I do for my own well-being and keeps me healthy and balances work and I love my dogs.”

Diana Haecker was the third across the finish Sunday. Training since August, she said it’s been difficult to get mileage on her team while racing in rural Alaska.

“It’s hard for rural mushers to get to races. And we all know that. That’s why we have to get local racers going here, so that local people have the ability to race, qualify, and keep the sport alive.” With a race that sets her up for the Iditarod, she’s optimistic about next season. “Maybe in the next year, we can do some longer racers outside of Nome.”

The four mushers rested after summiting the Topcock Hills Saturday before heading northeast to Council. Despite a few dogs getting loose and having to be chased back onto the line, the four competitors said it was a beautiful trail into the race’s only checkpoint just outside of Council. All four took the race’s mandatory 6-hour Council layover, and around 5 a.m. Sunday they hit the trail back to the coast.

On a straight 80-mile run from Council to the finish, Jamgochian led into Safety, with Trowbridge just a few miles behind, until Trowbridge surged ahead and led nearly to Nome.

KNOM Chief Engineer Rolland Trowbridge took second place in the weekend Nome Council 200 race. Photo: Matthew F. Smith, KNOM.

“He passed me at Safety. I pulled a Zirkle,” Jamgochian laughed at the finish line. “I was resting at Safety, and I didn’t know where he was. And all of a sudden he appeared, like the second I sat down, and he passed me. I was behind him until three miles ago.”

Back on the trail, Jamgochian’s team moved faster but wasn’t able regain the lead, shying away from overtaking Trowbridge. Three miles out, Jamgochian’s team surged, taking the lead to be first at the finish. Minutes later Trowbridge came in to claim second. He said the infamous Solomon blowhole wasn’t the worst he’d seen, but it worked the dogs well, leading to two very tired dog teams at the finish.

“This last little bit between these two teams is more like two boxers in the ring where they’re both hugging each other, they can’t swing because they’re so tired,” Trowbridge said. “I should have just put my brake on and let him pass me and then sit behind him … because I dragged him probably ten miles, where he sat right behind me, and it just sucks the life out of your team. So lesson learned, I won’t do that again.”

Jamgochian’s first-place finish came with a total trail time of 29 hours and 27 minutes, earning him first place and bringing home a $1,000 prize.